This invention relates to disposable identification tags for temporary attachment to pieces of baggage, and in particular to a unique, thermally imprintable paper product baggage tag.
Disposable baggage tags are widely used by airlines, railroads and the like. Untold numbers of them are used daily. Because they are used on a temporary basis only, and so widely used, the cost of baggage tags is an important factor in their acceptability to mass-user customers. The cost of the tags, as well as the ease of attachment and use of baggage tags and their resistance to tearing and inadvertent removal during the baggage handling process are other important considerations.
Generally speaking, the baggage tags under consideration include two portions, the baggage tag portion and the claim check or stub portion, most frequently severable into those portions along score lines. The overall tags are usually elongate, rectangular strips of flexible material which may be of paper or other types of film material.
A wide variety of baggage tags are currently in use. Among others are those described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,384 which describes a self-locking baggage tag made of an elongated reinforced paper product tape strip having parallel rows of reinforcing fibers therein and disposed between typical kraft paper layers, such as brown or white (bleached) kraft paper.
Such tags may be imprinted with conventional identifying material, such as the airline, the tags may then be "customized" by inscribing information by hand in appropriate locations, such as information specific to the flight, and other selected or desired information.
Other types of baggage tags which are currently available include those which have a heat sensitive coating, and which are therefore thermally imprintable, and which may be dispensed from a device which locally heats the baggage tag to provide the "customized" identifying data, such as the flight, the passenger's name, the date, etc. Such tags require a very smooth surface upon which the coating is applied so that as the tag is fed through a heat generating printer, the desired information may be appropriately imprinted on the tag. Accordingly, such tags utilize a base material which typically includes a relatively costly plastic film or the like for providing a smooth surface and adequate strength for the baggage tag.
Of course, a wide variety of other baggage tags are known and are currently available and in use.
It would be of advantage to be able to provide a baggage tag having a heat sensitive thermally imprintable and activatable layer which is inexpensive as compared to present imprintable, coated baggage tags, but which has sufficient strength to serve as an effective baggage tag as well.